LUDLOW — The Ludlow Recreation Department Whitney Park Summer Program’s fees were recently increased by more than $200 following a need for additional camp staff combined with a challenging budget season, Recreation Commission Chair John Archambeau told Reminder Publishing.
This year, families looking to send their child to the seven-week all-day summer camp program will now have to pay $600, Archambeau stated.
This cost is increased from $385 for the same program in 2023, Office Assistant Debbie Gates stated.
The Whitney Park Summer Program offers two camp programs. The all-day program is available for children aged 4-12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. This program starts at $600 for a family’s first child admission, the Recreation Department stated. A family’s second child admission would cost $550, then all other children would cost $500 each for the seven-week program.
The camp also offers a preschool program for ages 4-6, which runs either 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, the department said. This program follows the same price scaling as the all-day program, starting at $550, $500 for a second child and $450 each for further children. For this pricing, all children must come from the same family, the department stated.
Families of non-resident children looking to attend the program must work in Ludlow to qualify for the camp, the department said.
When attending the camp, children are divided by grade level and participate in daily activities such as swimming, games and crafts, Archambeau said.
“Ideally, our budget requests for increases to funding of camp staff and other expenses would have [been] approved but the town’s budget is tight in a lot of areas, so the cost of the admission was increased to the most fair and reasonable price we could manage,” Archambeau explained. He also highlighted high inflation as an impact on the program’s funding.
With the increased number of staff, the summer camp will be able to maintain its prioritization of safety, he stated. Archambeau further highlighted that the increased cost breaks down to “less than $18 a day.”
“We have a lot of pride in the Whitney Park Summer Camp and hope that the increased admission cost due to increasing camp staff and other camp expenses will provide the best experience for the children in the most enjoyable and safe environment,” Archambeau said.
Registration for the Whitney Park Summer Program is available from April 22 to June 21. At the time of registration, residents must submit two examples of the child’s Ludlow residency and a copy of the child’s immunization record. For non-residents looking to register starting May 6, two Ludlow employment pay stubs are also required as well as a photo identification. Payment must be through cash or money order, the department stated. Registration is completed in-person at Whitney Park.
For more information, contact the Ludlow Recreation Department by phone at 413-583-8856.
